The Generous Church: Plan as if for God Devo

October 14th, 2018

Devotional

“The Generous Church: Plan as if for God” - Proverbs 3: 9

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Our devotional this week is not so much a traditional devotional structure as a reworking of a previous newsletter article that I wrote about stewardship. For each number, take time this week to consider the scripture and the possible actions steps and discuss with your family what this could mean for you. What does it look like for you to plan as if for God?

1. Put God first in your living and giving. 2 Cor 9: 6-7. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth appealing to them to have a generous lifestyle. Paul writes the biblical truth that many of us have come to know in our own lives - you reap what you sow. So we must make up our minds what we are going to sow in our lives - specifically if we are going to sow God’s generous love, grace, and mercy - or if we are going to be guided by other forces in our life.

Possible Action Step: Model the humility and generosity God calls you to do. Consider giving your time, talents and financial aid to missions and community outreach.

2. Prepare a spending plan and track your monthly expenses - Proverbs 27: 23-24 - We may not think that the Bible talks about budgets and expenses, but in the book of Proverbs we find the author dispensing the wisdom to know the condition of your flocks and watch after your herds. Some of us do have flocks and herds today, and others may not, but we all have what they represent in Biblical times - lively hood and assets. Keep track of what you have and look after it, so it doesn’t go to waste. 

Possible Action Step: Learn to set up and live by an annual budget.

3. Simplify your lifestyle, and live below your means - Matthew 6: 19-33 - A frightening statistic came out in 2007 - the average American saved negative 1 percent. Yes, you read that correctly. The average America spent more money then they brought in. This is contrary to what Jesus raised up time and time again in the parables to be content with what you have. It’s also contrary to the United Methodist approach to stewardship which is based off of John Wesley’s approach to: “Earn all you can and save all you can, so that you can give all you can." He modeled modest living and sacrificial giving in order to help others in need. 

Possible Action Step: Assess what you have and what you need. What are some ways you can save money by living modestly in order to be generous to those in need?

4. Provide immediately for an emergency fund - 1 Tim 6: 9-12- Another scary statistic that came out this past month from several different research institutions - around 40 percent of Americans wouldn’t be able to have the cash or savings on hand to cover a 400$ emergency. Remember that part of Wesley’s plan was to save - to save by spending less (when you are able) in order to give more, but also just to save a wise and reasonable amount for emergencies. 1 Timothy reminds us that it is not money itself that is evil, or saving money that it is troublesome, rather it is the love of money that is problematic. 

Possible Action Step: Decide what a reasonable amount is to have in savings and develop a plan to work towards this amount.

5. Pay off all credit card debt. - Proverbs 22:7 - One of the biggest hindrances to being generous is debt, which Americans have racked up quite a bit of by living beyond our means - especially when it comes to using credit cards. Proverbs reminds us that the borrower is the slave to the lender, and for many of us that means being a slave to our credit card companies. 

Possible Action Step: Pay off your credit cards as quickly as possible and then only use them for true emergencies.

6. Practice long range savings and investing habits -Luke 14: 28- Friends, we are building a future - not just our future or our families future, but the future of the church through our spending habits. We need to be careful not to sell ourselves short in the future by not thinking through our spending habits now.

Possible Action Steps: Pray about your regular giving to God's ministry and mission. 

Set up a schedule to eventually reach full tithing, or begin by tithing one week of every month.